25
August 2008
Tank Up For Melbourne Drought Proofing
The Victorian Government has been urged to tank up to drought proof Melbourne by making it compulsory for a water tank to be installed in every property being sold and to introduce the return of the eave to all new housing through legislation of building standards.
The cost would be at the vendor's expense and could be allowed as a 50% deduction off property taxes.
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The State Government had already made it compulsory for new swimming pool owners to make their homes water efficient as a permit condition. Robert Caulfield, Managing Director of Archicentre said, "clever and smarter environmental design of buildings, backed by legislation and government policy will need to be introduced to drought proof Melbourne with domestic water harvesting a major priority. "A tank in today's property market will add value many times over to a property especially where it will help protect gardens - a major asset. Archicentre advocates
that all housing being resold should have to pass the basic Climate
Change Certification with the inclusion of a water tank connected to
the toilet, insulation in the roof, dual flush toilets, water efficient
showerheads and taps and solar panels for power.
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Mr. Caulfield said that this policy approach would see a continual upgrade of Victoria's housing stock.
The greatest threat to the introduction of an effective climate change policy is the red tape maze between government departments with different policies in every state and the inability to have basic legislation such as the use of eaves made compulsory in all new housing and renovations.
"The compulsory eave legislation would see water harvesting potential increased by 20% with the shade over windows and walls conserving power.
"Historically the eave was a fundamental part of Australia homes, however, in the last decade its removal for fashion and mock building design has seen the building of hundreds of thousands of homes poorly equipped to cope with climate change demands such as increasing temperatures."
Mr Caulfield said the future cost of power and water will be a driving market force to support government policy of introduction national binding building codes.